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Letters: Hoping for a Washington insider

Las Cruces Sun-News
Published 5:23 p.m. MT Dec. 27, 2018

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Xochitl Torres Small signs a campaign sign for Graciela Unguez, right, during a celebration after Torres Small received word that absentee ballots had pulled the Congressional District 2 Race in her favor, Wednesday November 7, 2018.(Photo: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)Buy Photo

Hoping for a Washington insider

I am responding to a letter to the editor by a Chris Mathys published on December 16. I was alternately amused and appalled by his attack on newly elected Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small. In the first paragraph Mathys accuses her of being a Democrat, and even worse, after consideration deciding to vote for the party leader. Apparently Mathys is surprised that a party official would support the party leader.

I was a Republican most of my life until such time the party took a hard right and left all but the wealthy behind (although I am still amazed how many citizen don’t seem to be aware of this). As a young man I also worked for a conservative congressman in his Washington, D.C. office. So I have a moderately good idea how the process works.

I mention this because Mathys went on in his letter to accuse her of already becoming a Washington insider. Well, it is difficult to become a real insider, but I hope Congresswoman-elect Torres Small does become one. It is not the power one achieves but how one uses it. If, for instance, a congressman has deep financial ties to the oil and gas industry, it would not be a surprise to learn he works on legislation to benefit them.

So let’s be fair. If Congresswoman-elect Torres Small becomes a Washington insider, who will benefit? It is an easy question to answer. All we need to do is examine what she has been doing since the election and before taking office. We can tell a lot about her by who she has chosen to associate with during the past few weeks.

She has met with the southern New Mexico groups, industries and regular people who will benefit if Xochitl Torres Small becomes a “Washington insider.”

Bill Bradley

Las Cruces

Swamp monsters aplenty

Reading Dennis Stone's recent letter about how the election of Ocasio Cortez and Xochiti Torres Small indicates the DC swamp is getting swampier, I have to wonder just what alternative reality he lives in.

Trump's promise to “drain the swamp” has been a horrid joke perpetrated on Stone and other Trump worshipers as The Donald appoints a cadre of nefarious swamp creatures to Cabinet positions and other Administration jobs, only to see them convicted or plead guilty (Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, etc.) to a host of federal offenses.

In less than two years in office, Trump has presided over the firings or resignations of 39 officials in his Administration (Ryan Zinke, John Kelly, et al), a record among recent presidents.

Swamp monsters aplenty.

And, he cites the nation’s $22 trillion in debt - a debt that was greatly exacerbated by Trump and the GOP Congress passing tax cuts for the rich and continuing to lavish largesse on our bloated military. The morally corrupt kleptocracy headed by Trump is ensuring the swamp grows more fetid and needs to be completely drained and refilled in 2020.